Undying Love (The Introduction) (6 page)

 "Well, I kind of do want something, but I'm not sure if you'll even want to help." I say guiltily.
 

He shakes his head. "What do you need?"
 

"Ari."
 

He snaps his head up at me. "No. Not happening."
 

"I just want her to talk to me."
 

He eyes me as if I just told him I’m about to kidnap her. "What did you do? Why is she not talking to you?"
 

"I'm not sure. We hung out a few days ago and everything seemed fine. I don't know what's wrong. She's been ignoring me ever since."
 

Abel leans against his car and folds his arms. "Shouldn't you be more worried about your girlfriend?"
 

I become annoyed at the whole situation so I lose my cool. I begin to shout at Abel. "You knew from the beginning it was Ari I wanted to be with, so don't bullshit
me okay. She doesn't want to be with me like that because of Rachel. But we promised to be friends. So I'm being a friend and I'm trying to find out why she's mad at me. That's it
!
"
 

He sighs. "Fine. You know Mike is having a party tonight. Colin said she's going with him so maybe you can catch her there and you guys can
...
talk. But I'm warning you if you hurt her I will put you in the hospital."
 

"Point taken."
 

***

I've been at the party for over thirty minutes and I still haven't seen Ari arrive yet. I begin to think she isn't coming. But then I get this electric shock that seems to be aimed straight at my heart. I look up and begin to search the room, and there she is, walking in through the front door. Unfortunately, with Colin draping all over her like he's an accessory. She's wearing a pair of snug jeans that show off her glorious curves and a simple tank top. Even in such an understated outfit, she's the most beautiful person at the party. I move to go toward her when I feel a hand on my elbow; when I look back I see it’s Abel.

"Don't man. Wait until she's alone." I grit my teeth and just nod.
 

A few minutes
later,
I see Rachel walk in and, if I weren't a man in love, I would have fallen to my knees. Unlike Ari who’s dressed modestly, Rachel is in a pair of short shorts that should be considered illegal, and a super low-cut, tight sweater. On her feet, she is wearing some killer boots that make her legs look a mile long. Even with all this, she's still not the one my heart beats for. Once she spots me, she heads straight for me.
 

I mumble under my breath. "Great."
 

"Why are you complaining, bro? Every guy at the party wishes, they were you right now."
 

I turn in the direction that Colin took Ari. "Not everyone."
 

"Dude you have to back off. They're together, man."
 

I whisper, "I know."
 

Rachel walks up to me and plants a kiss on my mouth. "Hey baby."
 

"Hey yourself."
 

Rachel beams
at me
. Then she turns to Abel. "Hey
Abel
."
 

"What's up with you Rachel?” He holds his hand up as she is about to respond. “Don’t answer that, I'll see you guys later."
And he disappears into the sea of bodies.
 

"Sky?"
 

"Hmm."
 

"Do you want to dance?" She asks expectantly.
 

"Uh, sure."
 

I spend the next ten minutes on the dance floor with Rachel dancing. Surprisingly, I have a good time. I haven't forgotten the task at hand. I know if I don't wait for the perfect timing, it will blow up in my face. The dance floor is getting more crowded and I'm beginning to feel hot.
 

Over the music I shout, "Do you want something to drink?"
 

Leaning into me Rachel says, "Sure babes."
 

I head toward the kitchen in the hope of finding something to drink. But what I see is Colin engaged in an intense game of beer Ping-Pong. But what gets me to stop in my tracks is that Ari is nowhere in sight. I scan the whole kitchen and she's not there. So I step outside on the back deck, and I see her sitting on the steps alone.
 

"Hey, stranger."
 

She whips her head back, startled by my voice. "What are you doing out here?"
 

"I can ask you the same question."
 

She lowers her gaze. "Well, if you must know. I can't stand to be around a bunch of drunken idiots high off testosterone and filled with alcohol."
 

"Well, if you put it that way ..." She laughs and turns to continue to stare at the sky.
 

"Why are you ignoring me, Ari?”
 

"I'm not."
 

I pull her hair and say, "Yeah, you are. What did I do?"
 

She looks at me with sad eyes. "You didn't do anything Sky. That's the problem."
 

 “What are you talking about?" I ask confused.
 

"That day at the diner ... It was too much for me to handle. I like you. I like you a lot more than I should. You are one of my closest friends. But, when you smile
at me with those intense eyes and those beautiful dimples, I sometimes wish you were more. But I know that it can never happen."
 

I hold my breath because of the emotion in her voice. I want to know why, but I'm afraid to ask. But I do it anyways. "Why, Ari? Why can't we just be together?"
 

"B
-b
ecause she loves you, and I love her. I have no family left. I can't betray her like that. Please don't ask me to!" She says with tears in her voice.
 

"Does she love you?"
 

"Y
-y
es! We've been best friends since we were in the womb. How can you ask me that?" She says with an intense passion.
 

"Then if she loves you, she would want you to be happy. She would want you to be with someone who would take care of you. Someone who would give themselves to you—mind, body and soul."
 

"But what if she wants the same thing with you
?
What then?"
 

"She can't have my heart, Ari. No one can. It already belongs to you
!
"
 

"But it shouldn't Sky. It's wrong because she's my best friend, and you've become my best friend too."
 

"It has always been you, Ari. You chose Colin. You chose Rachel. Not me. Now I'm asking you to choose me. I'm right here in front of you. Choose me Arianna
!
"
I shout.
 

She looks at me with so much pain and confusion. I want to ease her pain and give up, but I'm too selfish to give up on her. Tears begin to stream down her face. Even crying she's beautiful, and I have the urge to kiss all her tears away. But I can't because she's not mine.
 

"Sky."
 

"Yeah Ari."
 

"I felt it."
 

I eye her and with caution, I ask, "Felt what?"  
 

She sighs and says, "I felt the pull, the connection that night when I first met you. It scared me. Then she said she saw you and was
interested. So I let it go hoping that the connection
I
felt with you would lessen or just go away. But it seems to have grown. It's consuming me. I can't think or function anymore. All I see is you
!
"
 

"Say it Ari."
 

She shakes her head. "I
can't because
if I do I can't take it back, and I'm scared."
 

"I'm here with you. You don't have to be afraid. Just say it. Please!" I beg.
 

"I ..."
 

"You what Ari?" I ask hopeful.
 

Her face
twists
w
ith raw emotions. "I ... Love you Sky. I think I've loved you since I first saw you, but I didn't realize it then. I'm sorry I've made
such
a mess of things ... but I do love you!"
 

I pull her into my arms and let her cry
onto
my chest, as I whisper
to
her how much I love her.
 

Chapter Ten
 

Arianna
 

I lay on Skylar's chest underneath the stars crying silently. I feel like I'm about to enter the unknown. It feels good to be in his arms even though it shouldn't. He's not mine and I don't see how he can be, no matter how much we love each other. I stand up abruptly severing the connection I felt in Sky's arms.
 

"We can't do this Sky." I whisper
 

"Yes we can. You know we can. Why are you fighting this so much?"
 

"So what are we supposed to do? Just break it off with our significant others and just be with each other? Are you crazy?"
 

He runs his hand through his hair. "Why can't we do that?"
 

"Do you not know Rachel? Do you think she'll give you up so easily? Do you think she'll forgive me for this betrayal?"
 

"I know it won't be easy, Ari. But once everyone sees how much we love each other, they'll understand. They'll eventually accept it."
 

"Let me sleep on it. Please Sky." I beg.
 

He stands up abruptly and kisses my forehead. "Okay
pretty girl
, you know I'll do anything you ask."
 

"Thank you."
 

We hear the door open and Rachel comes staggering out. "Where were you? You said you went to get something to drink and you never came back." She whines.
 

He looks at me and says, "I was busy."
 

Rachel looks from me to Sky as if she knows what was going on. "Doing what?"
 

"Talking to Ari ..."
 

"So you leave me, to go talk to Ari? ... I don't get that?” She says angrily.
 

His face hardens to an expression I’ve never seen before. "What's there to get?"
 

She takes a step closer to Skylar and nearly face-plants on the deck. Luckily, Sky catches her in time. He sniffs her breath. "Are you drunk Rachel?"
 

She pushes him away and shouts.
"What is it to you? You seem to pay attention to Ari more than me?"
 

I suck in a breath. "What are you talking about Rachel?"
 

She glowers at me. "You both think I'm stupid. You think I don't see the way you guys look at each other? Or that Sky is only happy to be around when you’re there. I mean he doesn't even want to have sex with me ... Why are you even with me?"
 

I open my mouth to respond, but Skylar cuts me off by shaking his head.
 

With a quiet soothing voice Skylar says,
"You're drunk Rachel. We can talk about this tomorrow when you're sober."
 

"What's the point? It doesn't matter because I know what you're going to say. You're going to choose her over me.” She drops to the ground rocking back and forth mumbling to herself.
 

Concerned I say, “I need to get her home, and I don't have a license yet. Colin has drunk himself into oblivion. Ugh ... I'll ask
Abel
."
 

"I'll drop you guys home. It's not that far from my house."
 

I shake my head. "I don't know if that's a good idea."
 

He looks at me with a determined gleam in his eyes. "I'm not letting you get into anyone else's car Ari."
 

I’m beginning to feel drained, so I give in. "Okay."
 

He drops down and picks Rachel off the ground. She wraps her arm around him and sniffs him. I look away because I feel like I'm intruding on a private moment. Skylar must feel me pulling away because he looks back
at me
and reaches for my hand. He squeezes my hand and I look up as he mouths, "I love you."
 

As we enter the kitchen, I spot Colin by the island still playing beer Ping-Pong. I pull on Skylar's hand so that he would stop. He looks back and I tiptoe to his ear and say, "I need to let Colin know we’re leaving. I don't want him to be looking all over for me when he's ready to leave."
 

"He's too drunk right now to care. Ari, let's go, you can call him later."
 

Determined I say, "It'll take a minute or so. Wait right here."
 

He tightens his jaw. "Fine, hurry up."
 

As I'm walking towards Colin, he notices me and begins to smile. I immediately feel a pang of guilt. As soon as
I
reach in front of him, he hugs me. "There's my favorite girl."
 

"Hey, Colin I'm going to head out. Rachel got wasted and I need to get her home."
 

"Okay babe, let me get my coat and I'll take you guys back home."
 

"Uh ... no that's okay. Um, Sky is going to take us home. Plus you’re kind of wasted yourself; I don't want you to have to drive."
 

"Then you stay, and let her go with her boyfriend. Stay with me?" Colin pleads.
 

"I can't. I have to sneak her in so her parents don't see her. She'll be grounded for life
if they catch her like this
."